


Confession of Fireworks

by MegumitheGreat



Series: Shameless Mitchentine what-ifs, inserts, and fixes [11]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, First Kiss, Getting Together, Love Confession, Self-Indulgent, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-02-29 20:15:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18785419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegumitheGreat/pseuds/MegumitheGreat
Summary: Clem and her friends at Ericson play a game of truth-or-dare when finally Clementine reveals who she has feelings for.





	Confession of Fireworks

**Author's Note:**

> Still riding this kick, and Mitch is still pretty prevalent in EP3. But at this point I'll make it a series of some sort and just throw individual ideas in it. I've finally gotten to writing about what if Mitch was an option. I think he just progressively turns into pudding the more you get to know him.

“So, Clem, who do you _like_ -like?” Louis asked her.

Clementine was taken by surprise by the question. She hadn’t really ever given the idea of being with someone much thought, not since she left Javier and Gabe for the ranch to retrieve AJ. In fact, most of the time, she was sure that getting attached to someone for the sake of something as fleeting as love was a sure-fire way of getting killed or being disappointed should that person die. Still, she couldn’t deny that there was someone that she liked, even if she never made it obvious.

She didn’t mind who she got with—male or female or neither. Like most people in the post-apocalyptic world, as long as she felt something, she figured she would be okay. And she was quite aware of the ones who did have a crush on her. Violet was protective of her and defended her whenever she was given so much as a wrong look. Louis sought to make her laugh with his crummy jokes. Aasim wasn’t interested—he had taken a shine to Ruby long before they met the girl that had done everything she could to find safety. Omar wasn’t interested, either. Tennessee and Willy were too young, but the latter had been fascinated when he first saw her. It was like it had been eons since he last saw a girl that wasn’t Violet or Ruby.

Willy, however, was the biggest hint of who it could have been because he was the other person’s confidant. Of course, Clementine didn’t say that aloud. It would have caused unnecessary stress on the three of them if they tried to interrogate him.

Granted, Clementine never made it obvious that she liked this person. She was duty-driven, focused on making sure they survived before they had a chance at a relationship. Yet, in the calm silence of the evening next to a crackling fire paces from half of the commune, perhaps it was worth it.

“Come on, Clem, you have to tell us!” Louis prodded.

“Yeah, I definitely have feelings for someone,” she said with a smirk.

“Who is it?”

“Louis…” Violet drawled.

“Nope, not telling,” Clementine teased.

“Aw, man! But fine, don’t tell us,” Louis pouted.

“It could be anyone—Mitch, Ruby, Aasim…since she said she would marry you,” Violet poked.

“Uh, you’re nice and all, Clem, but I—” Aasim stammered.

“Just stop,” Clementine interrupted him.

At one of the picnic tables, Mitch worked tirelessly on his bomb, tweaking it for the last few times. Willy had gotten into an argument with Aasim, which had prompted the truth-or-dare card game meant to calm everyone down. Whenever he was upset, he found solace in the explosive fanatic. He was an older brother figure to the boy, and he felt he always had the best advice.

“What’s up, Willy?” Mitch asked him, taking a break from his bomb to talk to him.

“Aasim said my trap idea was stupid and ‘childish’,” Willy told him. “I’m not a child. My log trap is practical—it works in the woods!”

There were times where Mitch didn’t really know what to say, but he reassured him that he wasn’t a child because there were a couple kids that were younger than him. He wanted to rest his eyes from working in the dark, so without thinking, he stared at the gathering by the fire. Willy followed his green eyes.

“Mitch, you okay?” Willy asked him.

He wrinkled his nose, a yearning glint in his eyes.

“I think they were asking Clem who she liked.”

“Oh, fuck,” Mitch sighed as he turned away from the light of the fire.

“What’s wrong, Mitch?” Willy lay his head on the table to look at his friend in the eyes. “Don’t you like Clem? I thought you did.”

Louis looked around the campfire trying to figure out who it could be that had stolen Clementine’s heart. They continued the game for a couple more rounds, the desire to know taking full control of Louis’ mind. But he couldn’t figure it out.

It was late. The group dispersed, Violet hinting to Clementine that she wanted to speak with her alone by stating she’d like company while checking on the defenses on the back wall. Louis, likewise, mentioned he needed help with a project. Willy had returned to the front doors of the school, sitting on the steps in contemplation until Aasim approached him with a peace offering in the form of working together to set the traps in the building. AJ and Tennessee went off to help Ruby with lookout duty. Omar was washing up the dishes he used for dinner.

Mitch was the only one that was still where he had been all afternoon, and Clementine figured that if she didn’t approach him now, she never would. After tonight, fighting to survive would be much more than that.

She walked over to him, seeing him still busy with the bomb. “Hey,” she uttered. Mitch didn’t seem to hear her, lost in his concentration. She took a seat next to him.

She couldn’t help but watch him. Mitch had a scary face most of the time, but somehow when he was focused, she noticed that that scary face seemed not so bad. He was, like everyone else, thin around his jowls and cheeks from malnourishment, but she was sure with proper nutrition that he would have been quite the looker. He would have been…incredibly handsome.

“Clem?” Mitch suddenly said once he registered that she was sitting beside him. Eyes wide and a barely visible tinge of red on his face, he scooted back from her. “What are you doing here? When did you get here?”

“Maybe just a couple minutes ago,” she explained. “I said hi, but you seemed to be extra focused on your bomb.”

“Yeah, it’s almost finished. Should be ready soon…or now, apparently.” He smiled at his creation, love for his craft twinkling in his eyes like the stars above. “I even have some materials left over to mess around with.” He looked at her, the smile unchanging and he didn’t seem to realize it. “Once we blast those motherfuckers back to where they came from, I could show you how to make simple sparklers.”

“Uh, is that a good idea?” Clementine asked nervously.

“Probably not, but pretty sure everyone would want to celebrate once we win.”

Clementine had never seen him look so happy and relaxed and proud. The faces she had seen in the greenhouse, over the two weeks, and earlier that afternoon just couldn’t compare. She was glad that he was glad—especially when he looked over at Willy.

“I’ve always protected the younger kids,” he said. “Willy and Tenn—they’re my boys. And, even though I was fucking pissed with AJ for what he did, the kid’s grown on me. He’s a little monster, but aren’t we all at this point? I made this big-ass bomb just to scare off some adults at least. Bonus points if it kills anyone.”

“Whoa, you’re getting a bit sentimental, aren’t you?” Clementine let out a giggle.

“All thanks to you.”

There was a silence between them.

“Mitch…” Clementine breathed, unsure how to carry on the conversation. Mitch caught himself, hiding his face by turning away from her.

“Goddammit,” he grumbled.

“You’re so cute when you’re like that,” Clementine giggled again.

Mitch spun back around, surprised that she would say such a thing. The fire that still burned at the firepit caught his eyes, the orange glow waxing and waning in them. He was rubbing his cramped hands, not only trying to massage the cramps out of them but also because he didn’t know what to do now.

“Um…do you…” he shyly started. He took hold of what little ingredients for his bomb he had left. Then he put them back on the table. “I can probably make a sparkler right now. Wouldn’t take too long, and it would…fun.” Clementine gave an alluring look that he had never experienced from anyone before. His hands shaking, he fumbled around with some of the fertilizer. “Fucking…”

“What’s wrong? Don’t have enough propane?” Clementine asked, genuinely interested in his little side-project. She reached for the gas, causing him to jump a little. “Mitch, you feeling okay?”

“It’s just…” Mitch looked around to see who was still left outside. “Come with me. Let’s go back to the greenhouse. We can talk in private there.”

Clementine cocked her head, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. Mitch reassured her it wasn’t some sort of plot to get her alone for anything bad. He stressed for her to come along with him, and she did. They went back to where their relationship slowly mended, the only place that was out in the open yet still isolated from everyone else. The burnt remains of Ms. Martin were still there, unrecognizable to anyone else except those that had seen her before.

“Are you really feeling okay? This isn’t the first time we’ve been alone together, but this is weird even for you,” Clementine told him.

The moonlight cascaded through the foggy glass panes of the greenhouse, making it look like a silvery nightlight. The overgrowth that crawled all around the outside became silhouettes, and once again, Mitch looked marvelous. He was dirty like everyone else, an excess amount of oil in his hair and smudges and dirt all over his face, nails stained with all sorts of things. He desperately needed a bath, but he was fine. His green eyes, that were borderline grey even, looked so soft and vulnerable more than ever before. In front of others, he carried himself like a bodyguard. He stood tall, puffed out his chest, made it seem like he was the biggest person among his friends. Even when he fought with Violet. Even when he protected Willy from others. Since meeting Clementine and accepting her and respecting her, he seemed small. He was less intimidating. He was someone that could take people by surprise. She wasn’t one for those anymore, but Mitch was a pleasant one now.

“You’re different,” Clementine pointed out.

Mitch blushed hard. This was why he wanted to be alone; he didn’t want anyone to see his weakness. He reached for her hand, holding it like he had always longed to. Despite being smaller and daintier, both of their hands were worn from scraping by to live. In Clementine’s hand, he found comfort.

Clementine pulled her hand away, slowly brushing his cheek and watching how he responded to it. She watched him close his eyes, leaning into her touch. Her fingers crept under his hair and pushed it back behind his ear.

“Clem, I’ve got to say this now,” he said, his words drifting on the slight breeze. He held her hand on his cheek, bring it down to hold in front of his chest. “I…I know I was an asshole before, when Marlon died. I was angry and grieving. I’ve never lost someone like that.”

“I understand,” she supported. “We’ve all lost someone so dear to us that when they’re gone, it hurts way more than you think.”

“But I was a huge asshole when you and AJ came back and wanted to make things right. You wanted to help us, and I wouldn’t let you. And, like, that changed after you royally fucked up some walkers, and since then, I thought you were cool. Now…”

“Now?”

“Now I don’t think you’re cool. I think you’re perfect—perfect for this group, perfect for fighting the raiders, just perfect.”

Clementine stared at him and the way he gently held her hand. He couldn’t look her in the eye, and she didn’t think she could do the same just yet. She processed what he was saying. She didn’t think much of anything about his past other than he was sent to the boarding school for his fascination with explosions. Under that, he was just another misguided but otherwise normal kid. The years had not been kind to him, not kind to anyone.

“Did you hear Louis during our card game?”

“No, but Willy told me. There’s someone you like.” He let go of her hand for fear of unintentionally projecting onto her. “Like, I’m sure whoever it is you like isn’t a piece of shit like me, and I can live with you liking someone else.” He was rambling in circles.

“Mitch, the person I _like_ -like is…” Clementine stepped closer to him, lifting his chin so she could see those precious eyes. “It’s you.”

Flabbergasted, completely blown away by the truth, Mitch was speechless. His eyes searched hers. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing nor think that the little crush that sprouted in his heart was being given a chance to bloom. She never made it obvious, and he was always afraid of expressing it.

“You really mean it? Like, you’re not shitting me, right? Trying to make me feel good about myself or that I’m not a complete dick?”

Clementine didn’t hesitate now that the secret was out. Mitch was about a head taller than her, but that didn’t stop her from pulling him down for a kiss. It was only a few seconds. The innocence that was inherently in Mitch was, like everything else, a surprise. She didn’t know how long he had been at the school, but she had a feeling that he’d never known proper affection. She could tell by how rigid he had become, almost afraid to move.

How strange it was that they were almost the same age, yet he was at a loss for what to do. Clementine didn’t break the kiss until he found the courage to join her, and when he did, it was laughable at how he fumbled around. When they parted, he touched his lips, staring at hers.

“Forget the sparklers,” he suddenly said. “Once we fight the raiders off, let’s go somewhere far from the school. We can make fireworks and set them off.”

“Mitch, that sounds fun and all, but what about the walkers?” Clementine asked with a bit of sarcasm.

“We’ll fuck them up, duh. I just want to stay with you.”

Clementine smiled at him. “What about Willy?” she asked.

“What about AJ?”

Both of the boys would probably think it was gross or get protective of their respective guardian, and it only brought a smile—a chuckle even—to their faces.

“Clementine, you out here?” Ruby called from the lookout post.

Clementine looked back in the direction of the courtyard. She didn’t want to leave Mitch, but she had a job to do. Mitch didn’t mind. He knew that she would do a good job, and if the raiders didn’t attack, he welcomed her to hang out later with him wherever she wanted, be it the courtyard, the greenhouse, his dorm, her dorm…

“Only if AJ and Willy are somewhere else,” she stated.

“I don’t think they’d want to see two grownups kissing each other,” Mitch joked.

“Maybe. Let’s get going.”

Mitch and Clementine shared one last kiss before heading back to the courtyard. They held hands, this time not letting go and allowing it to be known that they were together now.

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly think that if given as an option, Mitch would have grown on more people. At least just give us more stupid playful banter D:


End file.
